Ashtyn Overweg is our Executive Assistant. She joined the Choice Schools Central Office Team in May 2019. She received her Bachelor’s in Business Administration from Grand Valley State University. Ashtyn supports the executive leadership team within Choice Schools. She will be a project owner and manager for key initiatives designed to support the academies.
Carrie Paddock is our Director of Literacy. She graduated from Manchester University in N. Manchester, IN, with a Bachelor’s in Elementary Education. She went on to receive her Master’s in Education with an emphasis in curriculum from Indiana Wesleyan University. She taught elementary for eight years in Indiana prior to moving to Michigan. In 2005, she took an elementary position at Creative Technologies Academy, a charter school in Cedar Springs. During her time there, she obtained her K-12 Administrative Certificate in 2013 and became the Principal for Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment for her last five years at CTA. Her mission is focused on providing support to schools that increase the effectiveness of the instruction happening in the classroom, with a specific focus on all students reading at or above grade level.
Hannah will be graduating from Davenport University with a bachelor’s of Business Administration in December 2024. She worked at Davenport University as a student worker for over two years in the athletic department, working alongside the athletic director and the business manager. During her time there, Hannah kick started sports marketing for football, basketball, and other sporting events. She played a crucial role in team travel planning and organizing. In addition, back in 2020, she started her own online boutique that offers a variety of Western and agricultural items. She showed pigs at the state and national level for 11 years. Hannah is recently engaged and will be getting married in September 2025.
Cheryl Paull has been with Choice Schools since 2009, joining the central office team in October of 2022. She serves in the role of Superintendent for the K-12 Scholar Model. Cheryl has two masters degrees one in Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment and the other in Educational Leadership. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, going on vacation and cooking. Prior to joining the central office team, Cheryl was a classroom teacher, curriculum coordinator and school leader at all educational levels.
Mandy Patouhus is our Director of State and Federal Programs. Mandy offers support to the various schools of Choice in regard to Title I, Title II, 31A, school improvement documentation, homeless populations, and compliance with state and federal requirements. She will manage and drive the programs related to federal grants and state-level programs so that those dollars and plans can positively impact student outcomes. She is a graduate of Ohio University with an undergraduate degree in Organizational Communication. Mandy also received her teaching certificate and master’s degree from Wayne State University. After a brief career in Organizational Development, Mandy spent many years as a secondary English and speech educator.
Kelsey Peterson is our Director of Communications. She leads our storytelling, engagement, and parent communication efforts. She joined Choice Schools Associates in June 2020. She previously worked at SeyferthPR, where she specializes in community engagement and strategic communications planning as an assistant account executive. She is a graduate of Hope College, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with minors in Communications and Political Science. Her role is to implement, engage and coordinate communication strategies that align with the schools’ and Choice’s growth and brand goals.
Caryn Slater is our Chief of Staff. Caryn is passionate about developing the cross-functional connective tissue in an organization by aligning people to the strategy and getting the organization to work in harmony to achieve its ambitious goals. She will partner with school leadership and academy boards through strategic planning, creation, and implementation with a caring and understanding disposition that supports success. She comes from the non-profit sector. She has a Bachelor’s in Psychology from Kuyper College. She previously worked as a teacher and administrative assistant in an early childhood center, where her love for helping children grow and develop flourished.
